'A week ago, a tent city up the street that was home to about 150 people was dismantled peaceably. Some of the 150 received rent vouchers; other homeless people accepted mats at a homeless shelter; still others took gasoline money or bus fare to return to out-of-state relatives or friends.'

The police are the armed extension of the government. What the government tells them to do, they do. Keeping innocent people safe from criminals is not part of their job. Enforcing the administration's policies is.

A week ago, a tent city up the street that was home to about 150 people was dismantled peaceably. Some of the 150 received rent vouchers; other homeless people accepted mats at a homeless shelter; still others took gasoline money or bus fare to return to out-of-state relatives or friends.

I'm a little surprised at the responses posted These people are breaking the law

28 posted on 01/20/2007 11:30:23 AM PST by JZoback
(Grandma Pelosi will give milk and cookies to Osama and he will be a good boy !!!)

A cat-and-mouse game between the city and its burgeoning homeless population took on a confrontational tone Friday as about two dozen officers swooped down on 15th Street North and either confiscated or destroyed a dozen tents in which homeless people had been living.

If it is not legal to camp, the police can do whatever they need to to chase the people out. Especially when they are knowingly violating the law.

This whole homeless tent city is the brainchild of a Rev. Bruce Wright.

He got people to donate the tents, in an attempt to set up a tent city and confront the city on the situation of the homeless.

The homeless in downtown St. Pete has been a huge problem because they flock to the city in the winter and disrupt downtown businesses. The are sanitation issues and property rights issues as they congregate downtown.

So this Rev. decided he was going to make a name for himself by "standing up" for the homeless. He's basically the instigator behind all the trouble. They even have picket lines of homeless demanding more "rights" in downtown St. Pete at the main entertainment complexes.

Here's the blog about the organization behind all the hub bub and organization of the homeless.

He is a member in the following organizations: NAADAC, Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign, Critical Resistance, Every Church a Peace Church, League of Revolutionaries for a New America, St. Pete. For Peace, Food Not Bombs, Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless, Homeless Legal Defense Fund, Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council, St. Pete. Task Force on Homelessness, and the St. Petersburg Ministerial Association